Marching Camp stakes use

[Caius Fabius]

I have played with variations of the stake fence, and built and maintained fences on the range (for cattle and people), and around modern military sites. We are currently trying to build a Roman "wall" and "ditch".<br>
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I find that pounding the stakes works well with a stake driver; a flat, board, notched to fit into the "handle" of the stakes. The four originals that I saw in the Saalburg Fort display (photo available) could easily have been pounded in using a "notched driver". This would require less man hours to set up, and remove. They could be chained together in batches, or tied together, but if they were individually set, they would be harder to breach. Think of the earthworks at Yorktown, Virginia (maybe redoubt #9?) or other earthen forts through the ages.<br>
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A few men with already cut and notched stakes can go along the earthen wall, with a couple of heavy hammers and a notched "stake driver" and set the wall stakes in. The most pressure goes to the stake driver, which would be discarded or burned when broken. To remove the stakes, a sharp strike at one side of the base, followed by one on the opposite side, will loosen the stakes so they can be pulled by hand, or a reverse stake puller could be used, fitting in the "handle" but lifting up!<br>
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Just because it "looks like a" handle, or a tie point, doesn't mean that it is one...... just a thought from a fence builder. <p>"Just before class started, I looked in the big book where all the world's history is written, and it said...." Neil J. Hackett, PhD ancient history, professor OSU, 1987</p><i></i>

[Anonymous]

Thanks Caius,<br>
You bring up some interesting points. The Chevaux de fris of the Revolutionary/Napoleonic period was set at an angle and used to supplement the palisade. Our Battle of Yorktown park has good examples of this (though both the barrier and palisade consist of pointed stakes).<br>
Jeff <p></p><i></i>

[mcbishop]

The site with all the stakes bearing centurial names was Oberaden, one of the Lippe bases.<br>
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Mike Bishop <p></p><i></i>

[richsc]

Centurion's names were also punched into helmets. Have centurion's names been found on other types of equipment? Is there a thread in this? <p>Richard Campbell, Legio XX.
http://www.geocities.com/richsc53/studies/ </p><i></i>